First lady Michelle Obama expressed her “outrage” at the kidnapping of more than 200 girls by Boko Haram in Nigeria in her first solo weekly address released Saturday.

“In these girls, Barack and I see our own daughters,” Obama said while also marking Mother’s Day weekend. “We see their hopes, their dreams – and we can only imagine the anguish their parents are feeling right now.”

The kidnappings, which began earlier this month, have sparked worldwide outrage on social media. The first lady had tweeting a photo of herself holding a sign with the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls.

“I could feel her passion and determination as she told me that girls’ education is still her life’s mission,” she said.

Other notable public figures have called for the girls’ safe return including Secretary of State John Kerry, Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

And in her role as first mom, Obama doled out her own advice to American kids.

“I hope that any young people in America who take school for granted – any young people who are slacking off or thinking of dropping out – I hope they will learn the story of these girls and recommit themselves to their education,” the first lady added.